Safety



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' 3 Sheets-Sheet 1. J. HODGES. SAFETY APPLIANGE FOB. ELEVATORS. N0. 288,806.v

n. PETERS. Wanda. w mnmm cu;

J. HODGES.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Medal.)-

SAFETY APPLIAN 03 FOR ELEVATORS.

Patented Nov. 20, 1883.

3 Sheeta sheet 3.

J. HODGES. SAFETY APPLIANGE F03 ELEVATORS.

Patented Nov. 20, 1883.

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UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

JOHN HODGES, OF W'ESTFIELD, NEW JERSEY.

SAFETY APPLIANCE FOR ELEVATORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 288,806, dated November 20, 1883.

Application filed Qctober 1,1sa3. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN Honcns, of the town of Westfield, county of Union, and State,

of New Jersey, have invented a new and use- 'ful Improvement in Safety Appliances for Elevators, which is fully-setforth in the following specification.

This invention is an improvement upon the invention of a new and useful safety appliance for elevators for which I have already applied for a patent. In that application I showed a series of proj ections, c 0, adapted to rotate into their normal position to arrest a falling elevator-car, combined with mechanism to engage such projections and rotate them out of the way of the elevator-car as it descends, together with controlling mechanism to throw the mechanism engaging the projections in and out of the position which engages the projections, the mechanism being controlled by the person within the car having charge of it, thenormal position of the mechanism designed to push back the projections c as the car descends being such as not'to engage such projections 0, thus requiring the active interposition of the operator in order to allow the elevator to descend at all.

The object of my present invention is to cause greater certainty and quickness of action in the mechanism which throws the projections 0 out of the way, so that itwill instantaneously and certainly be withdrawn, so as no longer to prevent the projections c from arresting the descending elevator-car. I effect this by means of springs adapted instantly to withdraw the mechanism adapted to engage the projections 0, instead of relying upon the gravity of the parts, as proposed in my said former application. It may also be sometimes desirable to accelerate the motion of the projections 0 toward their normal position (which is such as to engage the descending elevator-car) by means of springs, although, usually, it will be found that, where the proj ections are properly constructed, such springs will be unnecessary. Such auxiliary springs, however, designed to throw the projections 0 into their normal position, form the second part of my invention.

The figures of the accompanying drawings represent my improvements.

right side supports, with my improvement attached, as the same appears when the elevator-car has been allowed to drop so as to engage the dogs or projections.

In the usual upright supports or posts between which the elevator-car slides, I provide a series of dogs or projections, so pivoted or hinged-that they will at once be sprung out or fall out by their own gravity and rotate into their normal position to engage the bottom of the elevator-car, should it descend against them. Immediately below and on each side of the parts of the floor of the elevator-car which would rest upon the dogs or projecting hinged pieces when they have assumed their normal position, I construct, of of iron or wood, a bar or piece the object of which is to cause the dogs or projections to be raised up out of the way of the floor or bottom of the elevator-car, so as to enable the same to descend.- These side pieces are so beveled that when they rest up against the bottom of the car the edges of the hinged projections strike them, and are engaged by them as the elevator descends, and are slid back out of the way of the floor of the elevator-car, so as to enable it to proceed in its descent. In passing upward the elevator-car itself pushes the projections out of the way; but in descending the hinged projections are only pushed out of the way when the beveled pieces above spoken of are in position. A treadle within the elevator-car serves to raise the bev eled piece into position against the under side of the floor of the elevator-car, thus enabling it to descend but the moment the foot is taken away, or the pressure otherwise relieved from the treadle, the beveled piece is instantly withdrawn by its spring, and is forced at once inward and away from the point at which it would engage the hinged projections, so as to allow them to oscillate or turn on a center outward, in whole or in part, and thus arrest the elevator-car as it moves downward.

In the drawings, a is the floor of the elevator-car; b b, the vertical supports up and down which it slides. c c are hinged dogs or projecting pieces. d d are the beveled pieces that serve to press back the dogs into such a position that they will allow the elevator-car to pass downward without being arrested. 6 e are arms attached at right angles to the beveled pieces (Z d. f is a piece upon which the partsc 6 rest. 9 is a rope upon which f hangs. h h h are pulleys over which said rope passes into the interior of the elevator, where it is finally fastened to the treadle Z. 70 7c are the supports in which the piece (Z slides. Z Z are springs, each fastened to its support k, and also to the bar or piece d, in such manner as to tend to withdraw the part d out of the way of the projections c. m m are springs adapted to throw the projections 0 into their normal position to arrest the elevator.

The operation of the mechanism shown in the drawings is as follows: WVhen no pressure is exerted upon the treadle Z, the parts (Z cZ are,

instantly forced inward or toward the center by thesprings Z Z, and the beveled pieces (1 (Z, being thus withdrawn, no longer press back the projections c 0 out of the way of the floor of the elevator-car. and they instantly resume their normal position, and the floor of the descending elevatorear immediately engages against the tops of the projections c 0, and it thus instantly stops, as shown in Fig. 3. If, however, the treadlei is pressed upon by the foot, the rope g raises the piece f, which con sequently raises the pieces ed, so that the beveled part of (Z is thrown into the position shown in Fig. 1, and as the elevator descends the points of the projections a slide against the beveled side of (Z, so thatthey are pressed back out of the way and the elevator passes freely down. The parts are then in the position shown in Fig. 1. The springs Z Z must be sufficiently strong to instantly withdraw the projections c 0, so as to throw them out of the way of the descending car.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is i 1. Projections adapted to be thrown into position to arrest an elevator-car, in combination with mechanism to engage the proj ections and throw them out of the way of the elevator-car as it descends, and a spring or springs operating to withdraw said mechanism which engages the projections, so as to allow the projections to stop the descending car, substantially as described.

2. Projections adapted to be thrown into position to arrest an elevator-car, in combination with mechanism to engage the projections and throw them out of the way of the elevator-car as it descends, and a spring or springs operating to withdraw said mechanism which engages the projections, so as to allow the projections to stop the descending car, and controlling mechanism to throw said mechanism engaging the projections in and out of the position which engages the projections, substantially as described.

. 3. The projections c. the beveled piece 11, the spring Z, and the controlling-treadle, arranged and operating substantially as described.

4. The projections c, the pieces (Z c, the piecef, the spring Z, the rope g, with suitable pulleys or supports, and the treadle, arranged and operating substantially as described.

7 5. In combination with the elevator-car, the series of spring-actuated oscillating projections, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

. In testimony whereof I. have signed this specification in the presence of two subscrib-' ing witnesses.

JNO. HODGES.

Witnesses:

R. A. PIPER, JOHN MoOLURE. 

